Aerial trolley.



J. W. 8; E. O. FAWKES.

Patented May 28, 1912.

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J. W. & E'. G. FAWKES.

AERIAL TROLLEY.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 9, 1910.

1,028,010. Patented May 28, 1912.

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JOSEPH W. FAWKES AND EMMA C. FAWKES, OF BURBANK, CALIFORNIA.

AERIAL TROLLEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JosErrI Fawxns and EMMA C. F AwKEs, citizens of the United States, residing at Burbank, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Cali fornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aerial Trolleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an aerial trolley, and the object of the invention is to produce a car adapted to pass through the air and adapted to carry passengers. This car is guided in its movement by a trolley wire or trolley line and the car comprises a body in which the passengers, machinery I and propelling mechanism are carried. The

body of the car lies below the trolley wire and is hung from the wire on hangers. Above the trolley a buoyant body or gas bag is provided, which substantially balances the weight or downward pull of the body of the car so that the weight of the car upon the trolley is practically balanced. In addition to this the mechanism of the car is arranged so that it tends to overcome the action of gravity on the car, and this assists the buoyant action of the buoyant body or gas bag.

In the drawing forming a part of the annexed specification, Figure 1 is a perspective showing a short section of the trolley line and illustrating the manner in which the car is mounted and guided thereupon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car and showing a short section of the trolley wire. Fig. 3 is a plan of the car representing the same removed from the trolley. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the car body, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section: through the car body, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a side elevation and partial section particularly illustrating the hanger by means of which the car 1s guided on the trolley wire, the parts of the body ad-. jacent to the hanger being shown in 880131011 and other parts being broken away. This view also illustrates a brake which is partly broken away. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectlon taken through-the trolley wire and showing the parts illustrated in Fig. 6, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 8 is a plan of the main gearing or transmission which connects the motor with the shafts which drive the propellers for advancing the car.

Referring more particularly to the parts,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 9, 1910.

Patented May 28,1912: Serial No. 576,325.

the car comprises an elongated cigar shaped body 9, which is adapted to be formed of light sheet metal such as aluminum. The sldes of this body are provided with windows 10,-and doors 11 are provided in the slde walls so that passengers may enter or leave the car. On the interior of this body as illustrated in Fig. 4, a wall seat 12 is arranged for the passengers and on the central axis of the body a motor 13 of any suitable oonstruction but preferably of a rotary type is provided, said motor having a ver tical shaft 14 which extends downwardly through the bottom 15 of the body and passes through a suitable bearing 16 on the under side thereof. Below this bearing the shaft is provided with a wheel or helicopter propeller 17. The shaft 14 extends up wardly, passes through the roof or upper wall 18 of the car body, and passes through a suitable bearing 19; beyond this hearing it is provided with a propeller wheel 20. These wheels 17 and 20 are of the same type and present a plurality of radial blades having suitable pitch so that when the shaft is rotated through the operation of the motor 15 they will tend to raise the car against the action of gravity.

Just forward of the motor 13 a stanchion 21 is provided, which forms a bearing 22 at its upper end for a forward shaft 23. This shaft is disposed on the longitudinal axis of the car body and its forward end extends through a suitable bearing 24 at the forward end or bow 25 of the airship. The forward end of this shaft 23 is provided with a propeller wheel or screw 26, which is adapted to advance the car when rotated in the proper direction. This shaft 23 is driven from the main shaft or vertical shaft 14 through bevel gears 27 and'28 carried respectively by the shaft 14 and the shaft 23.

To the rear of the motor 13 a stanchion 29 isvprovided somewhat similar to the stanchion 21, but this stanchion is taller, and its upper end carries a bracket 30 which extends over and forms a bearing 31 for the upper part of the shaft 14. At an intermediate point the stanchion 29 is formed with a bearing 32 for a rear shaft 33, which is disposed in alinement with the shaft 23 and extends toward the rear end of the car :body, projecting through the rear end or stern 34, where a bearlng 35 is provided. Beyond this hearing the shaft is provided with a propeller wheel or screw 36 similar to the propeller 26 at the other end of the body. This shaft 32 is adapted to be driven by a bevel gear wheel 37 which is carried rigidly thereby, and which meshes with a bevel gear wheel 38 rigidly carried by the shaft 14.

In addition to the two longitudinal shafts 23 and 33, we provide two transverse horizontal shafts 39 and 40, the ends of which extend through bearings 41 in the sides of the body and are provided with ordinary paddle wheels having radially disposed blades without pitch, as indicated in Fig. 2. These wheels are adapted to be rotated in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 2, and on their forward and upper sides arcuate guards or shields 43 are provided which lie near the path of the ends of the blades as indicated. The purpose of these guards will appear more fully hereinafter.

In order to drive the right. hand shaft 39, the inner extremity of this shaft is provided with a suitable bevel gear 44 which meshes with a bevel gear 45 carried by the shaft 14, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 8. In order to drive the left shaft 40 the shaft 33 is provided with a bevel gear 45 which meshes with a bevel gear 46 carried by the shaft 40. as indicated in Fig. 8.

Just forward and just to the rear of the upper wheel 20 hangers 47 and 48 are provided, said hangers being in the form of vertical bars having eyes 49 formed at their upper ends. The lower ends of the bars are pivotally attached to staples or staple bolts 50, the shanks 51 of which pass through the roof of the car and are secured thereto by jam nuts 52, as shown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that the connection between the hangers and the staples 5O operate as hinge connections so as to permit the body of the car to sway toward the right or left under the ac tion of the momentum of the car or the forces developed by the propellers. The hangers 48 comprise grooved rollers 53 and 54 which are rotatably attached thereto, and these grooved rollers are adapted to receive a trolley wire 55 therebetween so as to guide the car along the wire, as will be readily understood.

Disposed longitudinally over the car body 9, there is provided a gas bag or buoyant body 56 which is of elongated cigar form and provided on its upper side with a net 57 from which strings or cords 58 extend downwardly, the lower ends of the cords being attached in the eyes 49 to form slings, as shown. This gas bag 56 is intended to be inflated with hydrogen or some other light gas so that the buoyancy of the gas bag will partially counter-balance the weight of the car and the upward pull which is exerted by the gas bag on the hangers tends to steady the body of the car and prevent its swinging dangerously in passing around curves.

On the rear hanger 48 we provide a brake 59 which is in the form of a lever, one end of which is bent upwardly and terminates in a shoe 6O lying normally near the under side of the trolley wire or rail 55, as shown. The short arm of this brake lever is provided with a draw bar or pull rod 61, which passes down through an opening 62 in the roof of the body so as to be within convenient reach of the operator of the car, as will be readily understood.

The trolley wire or rail 55 is supported in a manner similar to an ordinary trolley wire, that is, it is supported on trolley poles 63 arranged along the route to be taken by the car, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the car it should be understood that the motor operates to drive the shafts 23 and 33 in a right hand direction, and so that the propellers 26 and 36 tend to advance the car in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 2. At the same time the horizontal shafts 39 and 40 are rotated in a forward direction so that the side wheels 42 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The propelling effect of the paddles in rotating is overcome on the forward side by the guards or shields 43 so that the efliect of the said propellers-is to assist in advancing the body in the direction of the arrow. The motor rotates shaft 14 which drives the wheels 17 and 20, and 4 upward pull of these horizontal wheels andthe upward pull of the gas bag 56 substantially counter-balances the weight of the car body so that the trolley wire 55 simply operates as a guide.

Attention is called to the grooved faces of the trolley wheels 53 and 54 and to the fact that these grooves prevent the hangers from becoming displaced from the trolley wire. In this way the car is substantially supported in the air by the buoyancy of the gas bag and by the operation of the propellers and is at the same time advanced by the propel lers 26 and 36 at the front and rear. The car can be stopped quickly when desired by applying the brake 59 and also reversing the motor. A reversal of the motor will of course reverse the direction of rotation of the wheels 36 and 26 and this will ofier great resistance to the air so that the car will soon be brought to a stand-still. The side wheels 42 in reversing have a similar effect, tending to stop the car.

The motor 13 is preferably an electric motor, and is adapted to be actuated by current taken from a conductor wire 55, which is strung parallel with the wire 55, and along which runs an insulated trolley wheel or shoe 55*, carried by an arm 55 from hanger 47. In this Way the current passes doWn to the motor by a Wire 55 and is carried to the Wire 55 by a conductor 48, Which leads to one of the Wheels 53, which is insulated.

What We claim is:

1. An aerial car having an elongated body, a longitudinally'disposed shaft mounted therein, a propeller carried thereby adapted to advance the said body, a vertical shaft mounted in said body, a propeller carried thereby tending to raise said body against the force of gravity, hangers adapted to support said body from a trolley Wire, and a gas bag connected with said hangers and tending to overcome the Weight of said body.

2. An aerial trolley car comprising an elongated body, longitudinal shafts mounted Within said body and projecting at the front and rear ends thereof, propellers carried by said shafts and adapted to advance said body, a vertical shaft passing vertically through said body, propellers carried thereby tending to lift said body, means for driving said shafts, hangers supporting said body and adapted to be guided on a trolley Wire, and a buoyant body connected With said hangers partially overcoming the Weight of said car body.

3. An aerial trolleycar having an elongated body, longitudinally extending shafts projecting from the front and rear ends thereof, a propeller Wheel carried by the said shaft adapted to advance said body, transverse horizontal shafts extending through the sides of said body, Wheels carried by said last named shafts having substantially radial blades Without pitch, guards mounted on said body over said side Wheels, hangers adapted to support said body, and means for guiding said hangers on a trolley wire.

In Witness that We claim the foregoing We have hereunto subscribed our names this 4th day of August, 1910.

J. W. FAVVKES. E. C. FAVVKES. Witnesses:

F. D. AMMEN, EDMUND A. STRAUsE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

